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The Secret Lives of Colour
- Narrated by: Kassia St Clair
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
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Overall
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From the mummies of Ancient Egypt, via the silken dragon robes of Imperial China and the woollen sails of Viking longboats to the Indian calicoes and chintzes that powered the Industrial Revolution (and sparked more than one war), arriving finally at the lab-blended fibres that have allowed astronauts to moonwalk - fabrics, man-made and natural, have changed and shaped the world we live in. In 12 fascinating chapters, Kassia St Clair lays out an alternative history of civilisation and human creativity. Wittily written and compellingly argued, this book will change the way you see the world.
-
-
An excellent, highly listenable book
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Written by: Kassia St Clair
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- How Textiles Made the World
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- Length: 9 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
The story of humanity is the story of textiles - as old as civilization itself. Since the first thread was spun, the need for textiles has driven technology, business, politics, and culture. In The Fabric of Civilization, Virginia Postrel synthesizes groundbreaking research from archaeology, economics, and science to reveal a surprising history. From Minoans exporting wool colored with precious purple dye to Egypt, to Romans arrayed in costly Chinese silk, the cloth trade paved the crossroads of the ancient world.
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Overall
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Publisher's Summary
The Secret Lives of Colour tells the unusual stories of the 75 most fascinating shades, dyes and hues. From blonde to ginger, the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague, Picasso's blue period to the charcoal on the cave walls at Lascaux, acid yellow to kelly green and from scarlet women to imperial purple, these surprising stories run like a bright thread throughout history.
In this book Kassia St Clair has turned her lifelong obsession with colours and where they come from (whether Van Gogh's chrome yellow sunflowers or punk's fluorescent pink) into a unique study of human civilisation. Across fashion and politics, art and war, The Secret Lives of Colour tell the vivid story of our culture.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio on our Desktop Site.
What the critics say
"A mind-expanding tour of the world without leaving your paintbox. Every colour has a story, and here are some of the most alluring, alarming, and thought-provoking. Very hard painting the hallway magnolia after this inspiring primer." (Simon Garfield)
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What listeners say about The Secret Lives of Colour
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- ColourMeGone
- 2020-11-13
Listened to it twice and tell others
I stayed in the car to continue listening! In my driveway ! Engine off! Totally immersed.
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-05-26
Calling all Colour Nerds and Art History Lovers
This was such a fantastic listen. St. Clair is a delight to listen to and has some excellent historical nuggets that span several cultures and religions within each colour chapter. As an artist and someone who enjoys art history in digestible amounts, I highly recommend this book. It’s certainly piqued my interest in diving deeper into the history of colour!
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- Anrijs
- 2021-06-08
A fine treatease on social history, if a bit detached.
This is a well researched history of not so much of colours rather than paints.
When seeing the title I did expect that there will at least some reveal of research on how brain works to make sense of colours.
The narrator, who is the writer herself, is outstanding. You can listen to her Londoner’s accent for hours, even if she recited terms and conditions of an insurance contract.